Soft Machine
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Canterbury, United Kingdom (1968 – 1984)
Soft Machine was a pioneering psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz band from Canterbury, United Kingdom, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury Scene.
The band originally consisted of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Mike Ratledge, most of whom were former members of The Wilde Flowers in 1968. Later members have included Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Etheridge, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, and Allan Holdsworth.
Soft Machine continued on in name, even after all the original founder members moved on; Mike Ratledge was the last to depart in 1976. Numerous offshoots and side projects have included “Soft” in their names: Soft Heap, Soft Head, Soft Works, and the band Matching Mole, a play on words for the French of Soft Machine (‘machine molle’). As of 2005, Soft Machine Legacy is a working concern.
Other musicians in the band during the later period were bassists Percy Jones of Brand X and Steve Cook, saxophonists Alan Wakeman and Ray Warleigh, and violinist Ric Sanders. Their 1977 performances and record Alive and Well: Recorded in Paris were among the last for Soft Machine as a working band. The Soft Machine name was used for the 1981 record Land Of Cockayne with Jack Bruce and Allan Holdsworth, plus Ray Warleigh and Dick Morrissey on saxes and John Taylor on electric piano, and for a final series of dates at London’s Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in the summer of 1984, featuring Jenkins and Marshall leading an ad-hoc line-up of Etheridge, Warleigh, pianist Dave MacRae and bassist Paul Carmichael.
The band originally consisted of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Mike Ratledge, most of whom were former members of The Wilde Flowers in 1968. Later members have included Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Etheridge, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, and Allan Holdsworth.
Soft Machine continued on in name, even after all the original founder members moved on; Mike Ratledge was the last to depart in 1976. Numerous offshoots and side projects have included “Soft” in their names: Soft Heap, Soft Head, Soft Works, and the band Matching Mole, a play on words for the French of Soft Machine (‘machine molle’). As of 2005, Soft Machine Legacy is a working concern.
Other musicians in the band during the later period were bassists Percy Jones of Brand X and Steve Cook, saxophonists Alan Wakeman and Ray Warleigh, and violinist Ric Sanders. Their 1977 performances and record Alive and Well: Recorded in Paris were among the last for Soft Machine as a working band. The Soft Machine name was used for the 1981 record Land Of Cockayne with Jack Bruce and Allan Holdsworth, plus Ray Warleigh and Dick Morrissey on saxes and John Taylor on electric piano, and for a final series of dates at London’s Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in the summer of 1984, featuring Jenkins and Marshall leading an ad-hoc line-up of Etheridge, Warleigh, pianist Dave MacRae and bassist Paul Carmichael.
Shouts:
311 shouts
Top Albums
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Noisette
Soft Machine
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Virtually
Soft Machine Buy- Download Album
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Third
Soft Machine Buy- Download Album
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Volume One
Soft Machine Buy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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Porculus wrote:
Why are there no Volume Two songs in top 15?
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CasiniProjekt wrote:
Hey, please check out my music, its free! http://cassiniprojekt.bandcamp.com/ or http://www.last.fm/music/The+Cassini+Projekt/Blind+Vision Also check out my new music video, I did the CG http://youtu.be/wL5A88cuxwY
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Sosen wrote:
@Ton87: I'm with ya on that one. Third hardly even seems like the same band.
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Romencer17 wrote:
@Ton87 you trip bro, Third will always be the ultimate. I love the psych goodness of the debut but Third is just perfection.
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Arqdiles wrote:
Third rules.
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CasiniProjekt wrote:
Hey, check out my music, its free hard rock/prog http://www.last.fm/music/The+Cassini+Projekt/Blind+Vision
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caleidoscophe wrote:
Son fabulosos estos tíos :)
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idas15 wrote:
@Ton87: Vol 1 is in fact the most popular album. It's just the matter of its different names (Volume One / The Soft Machine / etc). If it had only one name like "Third" it would be always on the top.
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Ton87 wrote:
I've been listening to SM for years and I still don't get what's Third's appeal. Vol 1 remains my favourite.
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FreeSlave93 wrote:
TeiXs, why should we hate?
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TeiXs wrote:
Probably you're going to hate me, but I love both "Seven" and "Bundles".
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koolkeef wrote:
3rd is ok but i prefer soft machine as a quartet. listen to grides. they were a completely different band live.
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javier0889 wrote:
BTW, I think I'm quite alone when I say that I prefer albums like 5th or Bundles instead of 3rd.
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javier0889 wrote:
Robert's accident was a bad thing. But Matching Mole had more wacky drumming by mr. Wyatt if you want more ;)
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KillMov3s wrote:
Third <3
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FakePlasticDick wrote:
slightly all the time é viciante
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dyingprism wrote:
javier0889 how listen to their first three records and then cry because robert wyatt is now paralyzed from the waist down? :*(
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phillip360 wrote:
Glue and expand the estrus and electrified 'pataphysics group.
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myllenadelima wrote:
Moon in June
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mattmacneil wrote:
ah i see. Yeah i think I know what you mean. I think I got pretty lucky, I just found it (the original, with the wheel) in great condition for $15 from some vendor who had no idea who they were.
Videos
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Play
Out-Bloody-Rageous (1/2)
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Play
Why Am I So Short?/ So Boot If…
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Play
Lucas Perny - Drummer Tribute…
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Play
Soft Space
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Recent Activity
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UrEnemy tagged Soft Machine with jazz rock, jazz-rock and experimental rock. yesterday evening
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leticiatiemg added Soft Machine to leticiatiemg’s library. yesterday evening
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5dave tagged Soft Machine with uk and progressive rock. yesterday evening
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effervescingcat, mitti15, Jigwally and 3 other people added Soft Machine to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
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UrEnemy tagged Soft Machine with progressive rock and psychedelic rock. yesterday morning
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bygonerr, Jigwally, dcabgmyers and 12 other people added Soft Machine to their libraries. Wednesday evening
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EmptyBlackBox tagged Soft Machine with ‘progressive’. Sunday afternoon
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EmptyBlackBox, Greenchameleon, CosmoSphere and 3 other people added Soft Machine to their libraries. Sunday afternoon
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InterceptorZero wrote about Soft Machine in Project Lavrador: Week 5. Sunday morning
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InterceptorZero wrote about Soft Machine – Third in Project Lavrador: Week 5. Sunday morning
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More Information
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